illinois chapter fundamentals of salt spreader calibration...

By Tim Peters

Winter is soon to arrive in Illinois. Has your

agency calibrated their salt spreaders this

year?

Do all salt spreaders need calibration?

Yes, all salt spreaders should be calibrated an-

nually or when major changes are made to the

truck’s hydraulic system. Ground speed

spreaders which read out pounds per lane mile

depend on calibration to determine their dis-

charge rate. Without calibration all you really

know is that the truck is putting out twice as

much salt when you go from 100 lbs per lane

mile to 200 lbs per lane mile. That rate could

easily be double or half what you think it is.

What about trucks without ground speed

control?

Even trucks with manual valves should be cali-

brated. There are couple reasons why manual

valve trucks should be calibrated. First it is

very difficult for an operator to judge the

amount of salt being discharged. The opera-

tor may be able to see that the truck is putting

out some salt, but with the varied conditions,

day, night, light snow, and heavy snow, it is

impossible to accurately judge the rate at which

a truck is spreading salt. Also calibrated

spreaders make it easier for operators to

change truck because they all operate the

same.

So what is calibration?

Calibration is measuring the amount of salt the

system puts out in a given amount of time or

with a given input. With a ground speed based

control system, the weight of salt is measured

and constants in the system are adjusted so the

output of the system is correctly displayed.

With manual systems the amount of material in

a given amount of time is set.

What is the problem with using more salt

than necessary?

Salt is not good for the environment or the infra-

structure. Excessive salt damages both bridg-

es and roads. Salt does not just disappear into

the environment. Salt is not good for plants.

Some plants are more tolerant of salt than oth-

ers, but plants from grasses to pine trees can

be damaged by salt. Salt contaminates sur-

face water and ground water. It also affects

fish and animals.

How much salt is too much?

1 lb of salt contaminates 250 gallons of drinking

water to the level that the US EPA says it is no

longer safe to drink. (500 mgl/l)

Even a few grains of salt left along the road can

kill some songbirds, when they confuse it with

grit that is a normal part of the diet.

Sources for calibration procedures and in-

formation.

Controller manufactures are a very good source

of calibration procedures.

Minnesota DOT produced a comprehensive

guide that covers many different systems.

It is available at :

https://www.dot.state.mn.us/maintenance/

pdf/research/

SaltSanderCalibrationGuide.pdf

December 2016

Fundamentals of Salt Spreader Calibration

and Salt Application.

Illinois Chapter

OFFICERS:

President

Bradley Bennett

Urbana

Vice President

Eryn Stone

City of Rockford

Secretary

Mike Guerra

Pekin

Treasurer/Awards

Mark Lee

Klinger and Associates

COMMITTEES:

Audit/MAPSI

Sean Henry

Carbondale

By-Laws/Information

Bob Hotz

Retired

Chapter Delegate /

Government Advocacy

Bill Gray

Urbana

Chapter Diversity Liaison

Lori Daiber

Civil Design Inc.

Conference Chair

Amy Benecke McLaren

Peoria

Emergency Management/

Mutual Aid (IPWMAN)

Arnie Morrison

Champaign

Government Advocacy

Doug House

Moline

Rich Berning

Retired

Historian

John Hoffstatter

Retired

IPSI

Dennis Schmidt

Champaign

Membership

Tom Feger

Hanson Professional

Services

Newsletter

Tim Peters

IDOT- Technology Transfer

Nominations Committee/

IPSI

Larry Coloni

Forsyth

NATIONAL DIRECTOR:

Region V Director

Rich Berning Be safe this winter!

Dear Fellow APWA Chapter Members, The first Public Works Expo (PWX) held in Minneapolis, Minnesota August 28

th to 31

st was impressive. The con-

vention center, downtown Minneapolis, the welcome party at Target Field where the Minnesota Twins play, and first keynote speaker astronaut Scott Kelly were all fantastic. Anyone with stories about not changing his pants for six months or almost being blown up by space debris on the international space station is entertaining. The exhibit floor was enormous and the speaker sessions were very edu-cational. I would encourage anyone that has a chance to attend an upcoming PWX to do so as it is a great experi-ence. The joint Chapter dinner on Tuesday night with the Michi-gan and Chicago Metro Chapters was at a neat venue with delicious food, great band, dancing, and lots of com-radery. A special thanks to our own Vice-President Eryn Stone and the leaders from the Michigan and Chicago Metro Chapters for their efforts in organizing such a great event and fun time. Next year the Indiana Chapter may join the joint Chapter Dinner at PWX as well. Our annual conference in Peoria held on May 4 - 6, 2016 was another big success this year. Thanks go to the ven-dors and speakers because without your support and time there would be no conference. I also want to thank Amy McLaren Benecke, members of the conference commit-tee, and R&B Productions for all their work in producing the conference. Congratulations to all those that won awards at conference for personal or project recognition. The Executive Board had our annual joint meeting in No-vember in conjunction with the Chicago Chapter’s Leader-ship Retreat. I was excited to hear about the possibilities of the Chicago Metro Chapter Hosting a future Snow Con-ference. It was also interesting to hear about the activities going on in the Chicago Chapter. I am also excited about the Road Scholar Program the Chicago Metro Chapter is starting for operations training. Please also let other public works professionals know about all that APWA has to offer and encourage them to become a member too. Sincerely,

Brad Bennett, P.E. Assistant City Engineer Department of Public Works City of Urbana Illinois Chapter President

From the President...

December 2016

Please considering registering to be-come an advocate for Public Works.

APWA Advocates is the network of APWA

members committed to promoting APWA’s legislative priorities to Congress through out-reach and education. You can also read the

latest legislative updates at APWA's Legislative Action Center! To learn more about APWA

Advocates, or to join, explore the link to the right! http://www3.apwa.net/be_involved/

APWA-Advocates

To register to be an APWA Advocate please go to http://cqrcengage.com/apwa/app/

register?2&m=5015

http://www3.apwa.net/be_involved/APWA-Advocates

http://www3.apwa.net/be_involved/APWA-Advocates

http://cqrcengage.com/apwa/app/register?2&m=5015

http://cqrcengage.com/apwa/app/register?2&m=5015

December

The Value of Developing a Network of

Professional Contacts through APWA By Tim Peters

Often people talk about networking in terms of finding a

new or better job. In the private sector that can be a ma-

jor incentive for people to develop a professional net-

work. They may find customers, clients, business oppor-

tunities, or opportunities for a better job.

In public works, the motivation and the opportunities pro-

vided by networking are even greater. Unlike the com-

petitiveness of the private sector, in the public sector

most people understand the synergy of working together.

In Illinois, this is highlighted by IPWMAN. For a very

modest fee, communities may join IPWMAN and have

the equipment, personnel, and resources of other com-

munities ready and prepared to come to their aid in the

event of a disaster. Public works agencies work together

to benefit each other in both good times and bad. This

can also be in the form of sharing knowledge. In most

cases agencies face similar challenges. Our trucks and

equipment come from the same manufacturers. The ma-

terials we use to build our infrastructure come from the

same sources and we often use the same contractors to

build our infrastructures. When one community encoun-

ters a problem, chances are some of their neighbors

have or will encounter the same problem.

Having a professional network is an important tool. Your

APWA membership gives you tools to help you build

your professional network. The monthly magazines and

websites provide exposure to some of the top experts in

the country on many different topics related to public

works. Your local branch meetings also provide opportu-

nities for you to get to know your peers in near by com-

munities and to develop relationships that will help you

find solutions to those nagging problems.

APWA and your professional network can be a great

source of information related to changes in the laws and

regulations that affect you and your agency’s operations.

When new legislation or regulations are proposed at the

federal or state level, APWA and your personal profes-

sional network can alert you to these changes. Knowing

there are proposed changes which could impact your

community can allow you to be pro-active and make bet-

ter decisions. There may even be issues that you feel

strongly about where you want to provide comments or

share information with legislators or regulators to ensure

your concerns are being addressed effectively.

There are many different facets and specialties to public

works. No single person can know everything. Howev-

er, if you have a network of public works contacts, you

can often find someone who is knowledgeable in any

given field.

Unlike the private sector where competitors are compet-

ing for the same customers; in public works we all have

our customers and we aren’t really competing for the

same customers. When one communities roads don’t

work, other communities suffer because people, goods

and services don’t move efficiently. We all succeed or

fail together.

It can be easy to overlook the true value attending APWA

events provides. Having the knowledge and contacts to

work through problems quickly and efficiently really

makes you valuable to your community. Sharing the

knowledge and information you have with others makes

you a valuable part of the public works community.

When you consider making your New Year’s resolutions;

you may want to include professional development with

APWA as one of your personal goals for next year.

Be sure to like APWA

Illinois Chapter’s

Facebook page

https://www.facebook.co

m/APWAIllinoisChapter

December 2016 December 2016

Illinois Chapter Conference

May 4 — 6, 2016

2016 Awards Competition Winners

Presidents Award

Barb Stiehl

Public Works Technician of the Year 2016

Leslie Mitchell City of Champaign

Life Membership

Mr. Gene Brown For Many Years of Dedicated Service

To the Public and the Public Works Profession



Public Works Supervisor of the Year 2016

Michael Waldron

Public Works Engineer of the Year 2016

John Higginbotham, PE, PLS City of Springfield

2016 Project Awards

Public Works Project of the Year 2016 Environmental, less than $5 million

Springfield Sewer Garage Stormwater Project

Managing Agency: City of Springfield Engineer: Hanson Professional Services


Illinois Chapter Conference May 4 — 6, 2016



Buckbee Creek Outfall at Rock River Restoration

Managing Agency: City of Rockford Engineer: Bollinger, Lach and Associates

Public Works Project of the Year 2016 Structures less than $5 million

Rock Island Police Station Managing Agency: City of Rock Island

Architect/Engineer: Missman, Inc. Contractor: Gilbane Building Company




Boneyard Creek Improvements

Managing Agency: City of Urbana

Engineer: Farnsworth/Wenk/Jack Mackie Contractor: O’Neil Brothers

Public Works Project of the Year 2016 Management Innovation

Legacy Tree Program

Managing Agency: City of Urbana


2016 Project Awards Continued


Transportation, $5 Million to $25 Million Division

Peoria TIGER II Downtown Warehouse District Streets Managing Agency: City of Peoria

Public Works Project of the Year 2016 Transportation, less than $5 million

Adams Street Roadway Rehabilitation

Managing Agency: City of Macomb Engineer: McClure Engineering Associates

Contractors: Gunther Construction


2016 Project Awards Continued


State Street and Old Galena Road Roundabout

Managing Agency: Peoria County Highway Department

Engineer: Midwest Engineering Associates

Contractors: Stark Excavating


Venita Drive Bridge and Intersection Improvements

Managing Agency: City of O’Fallon Engineer: Rhutasel and Associates

We are happy to announce the addition of P.W. Paws to our Illinois Chapter Fami-ly! Who is P.W. Paws?

P.W. Paws is the APWA mascot for all public works. He is a roughly 9 foot tall partially blown up costume that someone can wear to represent the mascot. The Illinois Chapter is happy to rent it out to municipalities and oth-er groups for use in events such as public works in the schools, touch a truck or even getting those new water rates approved in your city council meeting!

PAWS is a fun way to get anyone to smile and laugh at an event. Consider using him at your next public works event!

Fees and rules are listed on our website us-ing the link below.

http://illinois.apwa.net/MenuHomepage/980/PW-Paws

PAWS Now Available

December 2016



On November 17 and 18 the Illinois Chapter Executive Board and the leadership of the Chicago Metro Chapter met at Starved Rock State Park to discuss plans for the up-coming year. The Chicago Metro Chapter is looking at the possibility of host PWX and/or a Snow and Ice Conference in the future. The meeting provide an opportunity for representatives from both Chapters to meet in person and to hear about activities, events and the unique challenges other agencies are facing. It was a very productive meeting. Some great plans for 2017 were developed and discussed.

2016 Joint Leadership

Meeting with the Chicago Chapter

December 2016

Malinda Davis – City of Galesburg

David Jayme – City of Urbana

Mike Murphy – City of South Beloit

Justin Swinford – City of Urbana

Natalie Boyle – City of Springfield

Brett Olson – City of Pekin

Shane Remmert – Crawford Murphy & Tilly, Inc.

Chris Scott – Town of Normal

Troy Turner – City of Collinsville

Jackson Hickok – City of El Paso

Chad Hunter – Village of Machesney Park

Adam Gerstner – City of O’Fallon

Marchello Graddy – City of Champaign

Michael Jefferies – City of Collinsville

Casey Jones – City of El Paso

Justin Parchert – Village of Andalusia

Mike Prosser – City of Collinsville

Brad Schrader – City of Sterling

Jesse Stephens – Village of Savoy

David Malllum – City of Moline

The Illinois Chapter of the

APWA would like to welcome

the following new members:

December 2016

The Illinois Chapter

Snow Roadeo will return

in 2017 at an exciting

new location!

illinois chapter fundamentals of salt spreader calibration...

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